Memories of the The Den

pajor · 26-07-2015 12:27PM

Many fond of memories of the Den. Especially den2 at the tail end of the 90s, I can just about remember Ian Dempsey been on just after Bosco. Then after the Den was Echo Island.

The Halloween and Christmas specials were great. I remember the vampires constant efforts to kidnap and eat Zuppy. I always wanted to win the competitions they had for Halloween and Christmas. Those PS1s and big hi-fi systems looked the dogs' bollocks in 1998.

I'd agree that RTE flogged Dustin for way too long. But back then he was the funniest thing I had ever seen. I know many people's dislike for Ray D'Arcy on the radio (have never really listened to him) but was great on the Den imo.

"Sure when you're from the Emerald Isle you've fortaaayyy shades of graaaeeen.." :pac:

iDave · 26-07-2015 12:42PM

What more could a kid want after school. A lad having the craic with puppets interupted occasionally by a younger version of James Bond and an Irish speaking Fear Sneachta

Cianmcliam · 26-07-2015 12:49PM

I can just about remember the alien spaceship landing in Dempsey's Den for Zig and Zag's first appearance. I remember though that Dustin arrived after Ray had been going on about how Dustin Hoffman was going to be a guest on the show for what seemed like weeks. Dustin the Turkey's second name was Hoffman too, mad the things that lurk in the memory bank!

Vex Willems · 26-07-2015 01:08PM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I was a child of Sky growing up.. We'd moved to Holland for a few years in the mid 80s (recession eh?) and they were very big over there at the time so I grew up watching all the cool cartoons on Fun Factory, DJ Kat etc - most of which never made it to UK/Irish terrestrial TV. Also had BBC over there and ITV as well I think.

Then when we came home we had Cablelink in Dublin so thankfully was never stuck with just RTE 1 and 2.. Almost never watched The Den as a result, although the 90s Batman cartoon was great.

You missed out, big time!

I wouldn't have watch it for the cartoons, it was the bits in between the cartoons I enjoyed, in fact the cartoons got in the way.

What I really liked about it was that it didn't feel like a kids show, I remember seeing it after the puppets had left and there was a female presenter, it felt like they had really dumbed it down and I remember thinking thank god it wasn't like that when I was a kid!

Wang King · 26-07-2015 01:12PM

jonny666 wrote: »

loved the den. The christmas specials were brilliant.

For some weird reason though until I was about 6 I would watch Live at 3 instead

You probably were having milf fantasies about Thelma Mansfield

Annasopra · 26-07-2015 01:16PM

Samsgirl wrote: »

Loved Dustin's campagin to be President. And how he ripped into Mary Robinson when she was in The Den for having smelly feet!!

Didnt she call him Justin?

Irish Guitarist · 26-07-2015 01:17PM

I have memories of waiting for them all to shut up and show a cartoon.

Teyla Emmagan · 26-07-2015 01:19PM

Dustin was brilliant back then. He was just a breath of fresh air, there was nothing else like him at the time. Didn't he run for president as well one year? I loved zippy and podge. It was way better actually after zig and zag left. It was just chaotic bedlam for a few hours in the afternoon, it was brilliant.

Have just watched that Kevin from galway clip again, you would need the patience of a saint for that gig.

Degag · 26-07-2015 01:32PM

Ted and Ray fighting was great.

Anyone remember the toy grand prix's they did? Loved them.

ygolometsipe · 26-07-2015 01:45PM

Dónal wrote: »

Ray fighting Ted, with Ray in tears of laughter because someone kept throwing Ted back at him. Great stuff.

I wish I could like this twice, I was trying to remember the teddys name

.... ted

KomradeBishop · 26-07-2015 01:50PM

I remember the parody-song Christmas album that Dustin did once, that was brilliant (this one taking the piss out of music used in Trainspotting):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPeN61GrPy0

bur · 26-07-2015 02:03PM

Ray Darcy being likeable.

Turtyturd · 26-07-2015 02:04PM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

I was a child of Sky growing up.. We'd moved to Holland for a few years in the mid 80s (recession eh?) and they were very big over there at the time so I grew up watching all the cool cartoons on Fun Factory, DJ Kat etc - most of which never made it to UK/Irish terrestrial TV. Also had BBC over there and ITV as well I think.

Then when we came home we had Cablelink in Dublin so thankfully was never stuck with just RTE 1 and 2.. Almost never watched The Den as a result, although the 90s Batman cartoon was great.

We had all that here, No need to go to Holland. DJ Kat was the first place to show the X-Men before Live and kicking got it on a Saturday morning.

As for The Den, the Christmas specials are the ones that really stand out, especially the one in New York. Also remember being pissed off every year when it had to finish early for 'The Budgie'.

Used to love when Dustin would show up on D'arcy's radio show and just take the piss out of him and his family. You could tell how uneasy D'arcy was across the airwaves.

NachoBusiness · 26-07-2015 02:05PM

Some good moments in this from 3m 47s onwards:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVQUkAaKpjU

Kwiecien · 26-07-2015 02:14PM

Did Dustin get suspended for a few weeks for calling Bosco a boll0#s or is that just an urban myth?

Loved Dempseys Den, Dustin, Zig and Zag. Got the Christmas no1 single on tape and played it to death. Podge and Rodge were brilliant too.

There's a dead man up the chimney
they call him Old St.Nick
we shot him up the @rse
and we poked him with a stick

Genius!

KKkitty · 26-07-2015 02:20PM

Ray used to be shattered after his fights with Ted. Remember when no one believed Podge was evil only Zig I think.

gabria · 26-07-2015 02:36PM

I am old enough to remember the Den from 1988 onwards but I always regret that I missed a lot of the fun by being a super goody two shoes always doing his homework or studying after school . The only day I would significantly watch it was Friday where I could postpone the homework. Ah yes, the memories of watching Littlest Hobo and the Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles with the usual chaos in the studio in between and then occasionally Zag's music (jazz? soul?) finale.

PizzamanIRL · 26-07-2015 02:38PM

Geri fecking Maye... Mmmmm

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo · 26-07-2015 03:05PM

Always got a good laugh out of Dustin doing the flap flaps. If I remember right he hated doing them but had to do them sometimes as a sort of punishment for something. Was it also that he accidentally used to do them if he got overly excited about something and would then get embarrassed. Or have I totally messed the memory of the flap flaps up?

When they tried to get Ray to kiss a girl and he'd get defensive was always highly amusing. I thought Ray was great on it. The Ted fights would go on for such a mental length of time.

Loved Zig and Zag as well.

It was a dam good show to watch as a kid.

_Whimsical_ · 26-07-2015 03:26PM

It's well worth taking a moment to appreciate the genius of the Irish youth that watched The Den in it's day. This is perhaps it's most hilarious moment?

I remember sending countless drawings in and they never showed mine. It was a source of some pain.

Agricola · 26-07-2015 04:07PM

Menas wrote: »

Best line on that show was when Zuppy was making a nuisance of himself, Zig (or was it Zag) asked Ian could they let Zuppy out to play on the Stillorgan dual carriageway.

That's the thing thats missing from so much tv today and certainly non existent on kid's tv. The world has become so PC and sanitized since the days of endless innuendo on the Den. Like Pixar film, there was something there for adults to chuckle about too.

_Kaiser_ · 26-07-2015 04:30PM

Vex Willems wrote: »

You missed out, big time!

I wouldn't have watch it for the cartoons, it was the bits in between the cartoons I enjoyed, in fact the cartoons got in the way.

What I really liked about it was that it didn't feel like a kids show, I remember seeing it after the puppets had left and there was a female presenter, it felt like they had really dumbed it down and I remember thinking thank god it wasn't like that when I was a kid!

Nah I'd disagree.. I saw enough of it when we came home to know that the constant roaring and shouting over each other and the Turkey with the Dublin accent (and I'm a Dub myself) wasn't for me.

Each to their own. As someone else said above, i thought of the bits you're all raving about as annoying filler between the things I actually wanted to see.

crazygeryy · 26-07-2015 04:33PM

efb wrote: »

Agreed- Dustin was a one trick pony flogged to death by RTE

Pajo was the original drugs kingpin on Sat mornings in his washing machine

nah i dont agree at all.for the age i was and back then he was a breath of fresh air and brilliant.good memories.
i loved it when dustin did the horse racing commentary to .it was hilarious.

_Kaiser_ · 26-07-2015 04:33PM

Agricola wrote: »

That's the thing thats missing from so much tv today and certainly non existent on kid's tv. The world has become so PC and sanitized since the days of endless innuendo on the Den. Like Pixar film, there was something there for adults to chuckle about too.

I'd agree with this. Most kids TV these days is ultra safe and sanitised so no one could take any offence.. As a result it's mostly crap.

Strangely though I don't mind Peppa Pig or Ben and Holly (same company makes both ) so much.. There's some stuff in there that's squarely aimed at the watching parents (have a 3 year old myself)

Wang King · 26-07-2015 04:33PM

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Nah I'd disagree.. I saw enough of it when we came home to know that the constant roaring and shouting over each other and the Turkey with the Dublin accent (and I'm a Dub myself) wasn't for me.

Each to their own. As someone else said above, i thought of the bits you're all raving about as annoying filler between the things I actually wanted to see.

Thankfully, you were in a tiny minority.
I don't mean that in a bad way, its just that we all have wonderful memories of Dempsey, Zig, Zag, Dustin etc...we have fck all wonderful memories of Teenage turtles season 2, episode 5

Eutow · 26-07-2015 04:46PM

Tangatagamadda Chaddabinga Bonga Bungo wrote: »

Always got a good laugh out of Dustin doing the flap flaps. If I remember right he hated doing them but had to do them sometimes as a sort of punishment for something. Was it also that he accidentally used to do them if he got overly excited about something and would then get embarrassed. Or have I totally messed the memory of the flap flaps up?

Children used to write in requesting Dustin do the flap flaps, or Ray and others would encourage Dustin to do it, by saying he looks cool or whatever. He would sometimes take a bit of persuading but he always would do it in the end. Ray and anyone in the studio would eventually burst out laughing and Dustin would always get embarrassed and run off screen for a short while.

Ruu · 26-07-2015 04:52PM

I remember the gang often going off and having interviews with politicians, during the NI peace process, they spoke with John Hume I think. It was a great way to get children involved in knowing the importance of these issues.

Then there was line dancing, let us never forgot that awful period in Irish history.

efb · 26-07-2015 04:54PM

crazygeryy wrote: »

nah i dont agree at all.for the age i was and back then he was a breath of fresh air and brilliant.good memories.
i loved it when dustin did the horse racing commentary to .it was hilarious.

He was kept on for far too long

branie2 · 26-07-2015 05:02PM

Zig and Zag's storytime on a Tuesday evening, during Ian Dempsey's time.

foxy farmer · 26-07-2015 05:06PM

My abiding memory of The Den was Dustin poking fun at Mary Harney.
He said she was "like the back of a bus"

Memories of the The Den

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